....

Too upset about this loss to write about it today, but I found someone who was willing to write about it. 

http://msn.foxsports.com/nba/story/9585910/Celtics-had-no-chance-at-repeating-without-K.G.

Collision Course?

Even before the playoffs began experts and fans alike assumed the NBA playoffs would be a formality resulting in a Cavaliers VS. Lakers Finals. I too fell into that projective mindset, selecting the Caviliers to defeat The Lakers for their first ever championship. The road to this outcome was paved with a Celtics Cavs Eastern Conference Finals, and the Lakers coming out of the West unscathed. However, with L.A. and Boston now each facing elimination in Game 7 situations anything could happen. Also, the Denver Nuggets are playing as well as any team in the postseason and represent a threat to the Lakers that no one previously foresaw. Perhaps the collision course is still a reality, but things certainly have become interesting.

Just as the year before, the Boston Celtics find themselves in their second Game 7 within the first two rounds of the postseason. Last year the team had a valid excuse of their first trip to the playoffs with The Big Three; along with the fact that they won a league best 66 games, facing no real adversity all season. This season what is the excuse? No Garnett? No Leon Powe?No James Posey or PJ Brown? Whatever the reason may be, come Sunday there will be yet another Game 7 in Boston. If the Celtics wanted to have a fighting chance against Lebron James and company they desperately needed some rest. By winning Game 6, the injury plagued and fatigued Boston Celtics would have finally had a chance to recuperate. Instead they now face another Game 7 on their home floor; against a younger and more talented Orlando Magic squad. Boston has played 14 games in the last 28 days and already at less than full strength, fatigue becomes a concern. Not only have they played 14 games in the last month, but there were seven periods of Overtime against Chicago in the Quarter Finals. With Lebron laying in wait having only played eight games this postseason, Boston's future past this Series looks grim.

 

In Garnett's absence Kendrick Perkins has become the defensive anchor of the team. Despite an increasingly aggravated shoulder, Perkins has held his own against Dwight Howard and played excellent interior defense. However, if this shoulder injury becomes an interference the Celtics will finally be too thin on the defensive end and be eliminated. Perkins is the last line of defense and will need to keep Dwight Howard in check (as he has done most of the series) if the Eastern Conference Finals will include the defending champs. Already short one Hall of Famer (in Kevin Garnett) and key role player Leon Powe, the Celitcs have the odds stacked against them. To close out this series the Celtics will need to play Championship level defense with Perkins at the core, and will need heightened intensity from Ray Allen. Allen, the hero of the first series against Chicago has been a non factor against the Magic. In defeat, Allen made zero of seven three point shots and only scored five points. 

 

Orlando may be younger, and more talented, (with KG sidelined) but the Celtics still have the advantage in mental toughens and heart. Orlando has no assassin in the fourth quarter who will make the clutch shot under playoff duress. This series has seen the Celtics lock down Orlando in the fourth Quarter several times as this was best seen in Game 5; with the C's coming back from ten points down to pull out their second consecutive win. This very defensive intensity won a championship a year ago, and if the Celtics want to return to the Conference Finals they'll need to call upon their defensive prowess. The Lakers and Cavaliers are still thought to be on a collision course to the NBA Finals, but let's see if the Celtics can alter that course. Expect another win at home for the Boston Celtics and another trip to the Eastern Conference Finals.

From Stub to Ticket and Baby to Man

When the Celtics acquired the 35th pick overall (Glen Davis) from the Seattle Supersonics, along with Ray Allen; hopes were high for him to be a large framed player who could rebound and have an offensive post game. I formally owe Glen "Big Baby" Davis an apology for my comments and feelings towards him last and much of this season. I always wanted him to use his size to rebound, play good defense, and serve as a backup to Kendrick Perkins. When I saw him taking jump shots and missing it was very frustrating as it seemed he was playing the wrong style. Why was Big Baby taking shots when you have Ray Allen and Paul Pierce? Each brick and each airball continute to reaffirm the notion that he should not be taking shots. What I failed to see is that he was working on a jumper that is now keeping the Celtic's season alive. So far during the Playoffs Glen Davis has been spectacular for his team; by hitting the mid range jump shot all series against the Bulls and now is still being left open against the Magic.

Big Baby was 9/14 from the field (64%) and scored the winning basket on a twenty one foot jump shot at the buzzer. The buzzer beating score by Davis as time expired was the climax of a tense last possesion by the Celtics. With seven seconds left Rondo had the ball at the top of the key, as I feared he would take a hero three or get blocked, but he passes to Pierce with nearly four seconds left. As the two Orlando defenders rush to double team Pierce; thoughts of him taking a fadeaway jumper over Dwight Howard and Reshard Lewis and missing badly seemed a likely outcome. A younger Paul Pierce or a current day Kobe Bryant would have taken that shot, but Pierce knew to get the ball to an open Glen "Big Baby" Davis for a game winning play. As Doc Rivers once told his young power forward, "if you prove you can make shots, you can take them" and that is exatcly what he has done. What made this last shot even more improbable was that the Celtics offense looked dismal, going nearly three mintues without scoring in the closing moments. None other than Glen Davis makes a free throw with 6:27 left in the contest, but this would mark the beginning of a Celtic drought. Boston did not score again until a free throw from Rajon Rondo with 3:52 remaining. In this final sterech of time Boston would only produce four points and only one Celtic would score again. That Celtic of course was Glen Davis; hitting shots with 0:33 and 0:01 to even the best of seven series at two a piece.

When it was known that Kevin Garnett would be out for the postseason, it was also known that Glen Davis would replace him as Boston's starting power forward. To lighten the mood and foreshadow his self confidence Davis proclaimed himself the "Ticket Stub" as Garnet had been called the "Big Ticket". Without Garnett's defensive intensity it seemed a grim situation for the Celtics even against the Bulls. Big Baby will never be even half the defender KG is, but he can contribute on defense with his size, and I thought he could rebound and combine with Perkins for some solid defense. However, I never though he would become Garnett on the offensive end. The Ticket Stub has averaged over sixteen points per game since starting for the injured Garnett and has converted the mid range shot all postseason, even in the clutch. The second year power forward out of LSU will never be the defensive presnce that Garnett is, but this postseason on the offensive end you've got to tip your cap to Big Baby. Perhaps the Ticket Stub has become a Ticket, and Big Baby has become a Big man for the Boston Celtics.